HOW TO CREATE: EF CORE PROJECT ============================== example is for sqlite but the same works with MsSql nuget Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Tools (needed for using Package Manager Console) Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Sqlite MIGRATIONS require core, not standard this can be a problem b/c standard and framework can only reference standard, not core TO USE MIGRATIONS (core and/or standard) add to csproj true TO USE MIGRATIONS AS *BOTH* CORE AND STANDARD edit csproj pluralize this xml tag from: TargetFramework to: TargetFrameworks inside of TargetFrameworks from: netstandard2.1 to: netcoreapp3.1;netstandard2.1 run. error SQLite Error 1: 'no such table: Blogs'. set project "Set as StartUp Project" Tools >> Nuget Package Manager >> Package Manager Console default project: Examples\SQLite_NETCore2_0 PM> add-migration InitialCreate PM> Update-Database if add-migration xyz throws and error, don't take the error msg at face value. try again with add-migration xyz -verbose new sqlite .db file created: Copy always/Copy if newer or copy .db file to destination relative: optionsBuilder.UseSqlite("Data Source=blogging.db"); absolute (use fwd slashes): optionsBuilder.UseSqlite("Data Source=C:/foo/bar/blogging.db"); REFERENCE ARTICLES ------------------ https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/ef/core/get-started/netcore/new-db-sqlite https://carlos.mendible.com/2016/07/11/step-by-step-dotnet-core-and-entity-framework-core/ https://www.benday.com/2017/12/19/ef-core-2-0-migrations-without-hard-coded-connection-strings/